Tuesday, March 5, 2013

kishi bashi (and our very bad dog)

A few days ago, Dave and I finally got to see Kishi Bashi at the Great American Music Hall. I say 'finally' because the last time we bought tickets to see him back in Chicago, we had to miss the show due to the timing of our move. Unfortunate and disappointing as it was, I guess can't complain too much. There are worse things in life than moving to California, that's for certain.

Still, Kishi Bashi's debut album 151a was by far my favorite album of 2012. And let me tell you, I was absolutely devastated when we couldn't see him last September. As such, my level of excitement for this show was out. of. control. Guys, I have been referring to February as 'Kishi Bashi Month' since we got the tickets back in December.

But guess what? We *almost* missed this show too.

While we were out enjoying a pre-show dinner date, our management company called to inform us that our dog was howling -- very, very loudly -- and the neighbors were not happy about it. Worst. Timing. Ever.

Now, most greyhounds are the chillest little babies around, but not our Margot. No. Our poor girl is about as high-strung as can be and she hates to be away from her people, even for a second. We had a pretty solid routine going in Chicago, which kept her separation anxiety under control, but all progress was lost when we picked up and moved. The whole ordeal was pretty confusing to our little pea-brained pup and sadly, her anxiety worsened. So last month we finally caved and started her on anti-depressants (please don't judge). Except, they haven't quite kicked in yet ...

We hurriedly paid our bill, rushed out of the restaurant, and hopped on the bus towards home. Sure enough, we could hear her crying as soon as we stepped off the elevator. Very bad dog.

With less than an hour before show time, we decided to take extreme measures. First we took her for a long run to wear her out, then slipped her some Benadryl to make her drowsy (a tip we learned from the vet for occasions such as these), then sat and ignored her for an hour until she dosed off (another tip from the vet), and finally snuck back out.

Worked like a charm.

And thank goodness! We arrived just as Kishi Bashi took the stage to put on one of the best live performances I have ever seen. This guy is crazy brilliant, creative, talented, and cute as a button. I adore him.

If you are not listening to Kishi Bashi yet, you really are missing out on some incredible music. See?

(this is not from the show we attended, it's just a beautiful performance of one of my favorite songs)

And, if you're interested, here's an extended explanation of how he builds the layers of sound: